Improvement in looking apparatus foe feeey-boats



uiten rates strnt ffice.

JARED ROWLAND, 0F BROOKLYN, E. D.' NEW YORK.

` Lam naar No. 64,710, @lated May i4, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKING APPARATUS FOR FERRY-BOATS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, JARED ROWLAND, of Brooklyn, ED., in'the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Apparat-us for Securing Ferry-Boats to `Bridges; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which- 'Figurei represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved apparatus.

Figure' is a bottom view ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

lhe object of this invention is to arrange a device whereby the engineer or the pilot of a ferry-boat may be enabled to secure the boat to the bridge and to detach the saine therefrom, as he may desire. The didiculty hitherto experienced in securing the boat to the bridges and detach the saine therefrom, is completely overcome by Athis invention, as the extra deck-hands for operating the apparatus are not required, my device working automatically.

A represents the deck of a ferry-boat, which is constructed as usual. To the under 'side of the same are hinged, with each of their ends, iron bars da( one being arranged on each end of the boat. These bars are bent so as to conform and correspond te the shape of the end of the boat, which is generally formed like an ar'c of a circle. On any convenient part of the boat is arranged a vertical shaft, with a crank or wheel, c, on its upper end, so that it may be conveniently turned in its bearings. On this shaft is rmly secured a wheel or drum, d, which turns with. the shaft. Chains or ropes e e are secured to the circumference of the wheeler drum d, their other ends being secured to the bars a in such a manner that as the chains'arewound around the drum a7, the bars will be raised to a .horizontal position, so that they will lie Hush against the under side of the deck, but they will drop to a vertical position as scon as the chains are slackened. By means of a ratchetwheel, g, and pawi l1, the shaft may be locked so as to retain the bars a in any desired position. B is the bridge Ato which the'boat is to be secured; the same is also constructed as usual. 'lo its under side are hinged two or more bars ff, their rear or inner ends being'weighted, so as to be heavier than their front ends. Their front or outcr ends are hook-shaped, with an inclined outer surface, so that as the boat approaches, the bar a, being lowered, will come in Contact with the incline surface of the hook, and will partly depress the hook, and partly move upon the said incline until it drops behind the projecting portion of the hooks. The boat is then well secured to the bridge, and the ber is well locked, as the upper surface ofthe hooks is pressed against the lowerV surface of the deck by means 'of their weighted inner ends. A recess is provided in the under surface of the deck for the bar a to t in, so that the boat may be detached, byraising the bar a in the aforesaid manner, so that it will lie in the recess in the deck. The hooks will then not have any more hold on the bar; and thus the boat is completely detached. If desired, a gong-bell or other apparatus may he connected with the hooks f, whereby notice may be given that the boat is secured or detached, as the caseanay be.

Having thuis described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is

l. The hooks ff, arranged on the under side of the bridge B, and weighted at their inner ends, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. The bars a, arranged at each end ofthe boat below the deck, and operated by the shaft b and chains e substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

v JARED ROWLAND.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMARA,

ALEX. F. Renners. 

